#863 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday February 22)
Good morning,
Three things this morning…
IMPEACH ALI MAJORKAS OR JUST PASS LEGISLATION
Impeaching a public servant is serious business. A cabinet secretary hasn’t been impeached since 1876, when Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached for corruption, including taking financial kickbacks. The long period of inaction since then included the Teapot Dome and Watergate scandals. As we all know, impeachment is reserved for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” There isn’t a constitutional scholar of whom I’m aware who thinks the House’s “case” on impeaching Ali Majorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for alleged dereliction of his duties, is a proper use of the power of impeachment.
There are no “high crimes or misdemeanors.” The crime ostensibly is for not controlling the border, notwithstanding that the department is doing all it can with what it has. This is another example of a do-nothing Republican led House engaging in political theatrics, rather than legislation. There of course was an opportunity to address the border crisis. It was right there in front of them and was in large measure the product of their own proposals and negotiations. More staff, quicker processing, limits on immigration, and higher standards on asylum requests—a pretty darned attractive bill. An immigration reform bill has been an elusive goal, going all the way back to George W. Bush’s administration. Here, a bill was hashed out, with significant concessions to the Republicans’ demands.
Despite seemingly broad support, Republican support was pulled on the cusp of approval, under the direction of past and erstwhile future President Donald Trump. He holds that much sway on his party’s leaders. And so the Department will labor on, underfunded, understaffed and without many of the tools that would free up the backlog of asylum cases and reduce the pressures on our border.
The hypocrisy of underfunding the Department of Homeland Security, not adopting a compromise bill that promises to control the border, and then impeaching the cabinet Secretary responsible for the implementation of the law, is stunning.
But perhaps even more stunning is that these same Republicans, including Trump, were demanding from Congress that the law be amended in 2019, yet at the time Congress was unsuccessful in doing so.
Trump says, “this bill is a great gift to the Democrats.” He doesn’t want the bill because he wants to run on the issue and lambaste the administration for not acting.
BAD PARENTING BEARS CONSEQUENCES
It is heartening to know that a jury has found a mother guilty of manslaughter in her son’s school shooting spree.
This is not just a case of the bad decision to buy a gun for an underage youth. It’s not just a case of missing the signs of mental illness. This mother was repeatedly advised by teachers of her son’s deep emotional problems, his bloody drawings of human carnage, and his cries for help. The gun lock was set on the factory default setting of “0000.” There was no parental guidance, which is bad enough. But the parents bought the gun, went shooting with him, and ignored all signs and warnings, while providing him access.
Dad goes on trial next month.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Back in 2020, I had a weekly segment of Musings called “In His Own Words,” citing the deranged, unhinged, misguided policy, and narcissistic rantings of Donald Trump. Seeing these quotes on paper, rather than in the constant barrage of cable news somehow provides clarity regarding the concerns about allowing a sociopath back in the White House. Given the flow of recent dangerous pronouncements of Donald Trump, I figured it was time to point out some of his more recent bon mots:
When asked what he would tell Russia if it invaded NATO allies who fall short of defense spending commitments, he said he would offer no defense and said: “I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”
Just this week, Trump’s reaction to the death of Alexei Navalny in an Arctic Russian prison was to compare himself to Navalny. “It’s a form of Navalny,” said Mr. Trump in comparing his indictments to the plight of Russia’s greatest spokesperson against the Putin regime.
And here’s a chilling statement that vilifies all enemies, accuses them of hating America, and promising retribution:
“2024 is our Final Battle. With you at my side, we will demolish the Deep State, we will expel the warmongers from our government, we will drive out the globalists, we will cast out the Communists, Marxists, and Fascists, we will throw off the sick political class that hates our Country, we will rout the Fake News Media, we will Drain the Swamp, and we will liberate our country from these tyrants and villains once and for all.”
Scary times,
Glenn